VALCO CEO urges govt to help them process bauxite into alumina

The acting Chief Executive of the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO), Mr Dan Achampong, has challenged the government to make VALCO process the country’s bauxite into alumina, to reduce the cost of aluminium.

He said this will help create over two million jobs and also make the aluminium industry a lucrative and profitable business.

Mr Achampong made the call at the inauguration of a housing project for workers of VALCO under the VALCO Employees Housing Cooperative Society (VEHOCS ) at Afienya.

He indicated that the export of the country’s bauxite was a disservice to the local aluminium industry, adding that VALCO presently imported alumina, though it could be processed locally.

Mr Achampong pointed out that VALCO was established to form the basis of an integrated aluminium industry in Ghana and, therefore, appealed to the government to consider revamping VALCO, to enable it to play its role in the ceconomy.

VALCO, which has five pot lines, currently operates only one because of the challenge of power to run them.

Mr Achampong noted with appreciation that in spite of the challenges the company was facing, its workers had formed a co-operative to provide decent housing for themselves.

The Deputy Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Sampson Ahi, said VALCO had proved to be a leader by coming up with wonderful ideas such as the provision of houses for its workers.

Mr Ahi said the government was working hard to provide adequate housing for Ghanaians, especially those in the lower income group.

The Chairman of VEHOCS, Mr Sani Mahama, said the society had provided houses for 224 of its members and added that the inauguration of the 18 housing units marked the completion of the second phase of the scheme.

Some of the beneficiaries were presented with keys to their houses.

He said the ceremony to mark the third phase would be held soon and urged those who had not registered with the society to do so, to benefit from the scheme.